Not Another One
by ScorchedWillow
Summary: A dirty box, a couple kitties, and more then just a bit of magic. Follow Annie as she desperately tries to keep her life together around ten psychotic criminals and few "weird" family traits.
1. A Dirty Begining and Awkward Conclusions

Enjoy :)

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You could say my chaotic spiral all started when I first saw the box. It was dirty, tattered, and of medium size, but altogether it didn't really have an air of foreboding or malice intent. After all- it's just a box, right? None the less, I eyed the thing with a sense of weariness, as I tried to scuttle past with my dog in tow. And of course, the box decided to meow, which sent my beloved dog into an excited lung for the nasty thing.

"Toby! Come on!" I said, tugging the stubborn mutt away from it. This proved futile- as 78 pounds of pure stubborn muscles buried his head between the partially closed flaps. A brief period of curious snuffling and tail wagging issued, which was closely followed by a startled yip as he pulled back, as what ever was inside decided it was not in the mood to say hello.

"Well what did you expect, dork?" I snorted, approaching the box with reluctance. I lived towards the edge of a city with my family, and it was not uncommon for people to leave unwanted pets on the sides of the road. In sympathy for the poor critters inside, I peered in to inspect what condition they're previous owners had left them in.

Now, I'm not an idiot. Any girl who's ever read any sort of Naruto fanfiction involving the Akatsuki has run into one of those "cat" fanfictions, and having read one of those fanfictions, I knew immediately who, and what they were.

I stared, at the two blue kittens, sole red haired cat, and a bulky brown tom, and they stared back.

"...shit." I mumbled, standing up abruptly, and glancing around. Only my dog and myself was on the lone street, but at that moment I could swear I was being watched. I glanced back down at the cats, Where are the others..? I bent down to pick up the box, only to drop it, and it's occupants, when a certain red-haired asshole decided to swat at me with his claws. Inspecting the offended hand to find long scratch marks, I frowned and glanced down at the scattered and dazed looking kittens. "Fine then, asshole." Tugging Toby along, I started for my house.

About halfway down the street, I realized that they were following me. I turned towards them, narrowing my eyes in suspicion. The largest blue one, Kisame, started twinning himself through my legs, the rest padded their way up, having the decency to at least look apologetic. I looked to the sky, taking a deep breath. I am not bringing four psychotic killers in the form of kittens home. I told myself firmly. Foolishly, I glanced down at the four, now adorable kittens, around me. Sighing, I crouched down to their level.

"Listen here," I said, giving my best glare to all four of them. "I'll take you home. On a few conditions," I pointed to all of them, "No killing. And I'm not guaranteeing that you'll be able to stay." I stood, not waiting for acknowledgment, and headed for the box they had been in, and placed them all inside.

The rest of the walk home was nerve wracking, but I kept a steady pace, allowing Toby to sniff and do other things as he pleased. Nervously, I glanced down at the criminals-turned-kittens in my care. They returned my glances with intense, suspicious stares. I picked up the pace as we turned down my street.

As we reached the porch steps to my home, I turned to Toby. "Sit." I said, and removed his leash as he did, then, fumbling with my set of keys, I pushed the door open, carrying both the box and the Akatsuki members in with me.

"Mom?" I called, pausing to listen after I set the cats in the foyer, when no response came, I sighed in relief. Glancing at the kittens now stumbling out of their box-home, I gestured to them to follow me. Turning the corner of foyer, I descended the stairs, listening as four sets of paws thumped after me. Shuffling across the living room, I opened my bedroom door, holding it open as the cats trotted in after me with caution. Closing it, I turned towards them.

"Okay," I announced, stepping towards the four of them as they sat in the center of my room, glancing around with both caution and curiosity."First things first- I'm Annie," I said, placing a hand on my own chest to emphasize the obvious,"And this is my room." I made a vague gesture to the neat little room I called mine, It was stacked shelf to shelf with books, odd trinkets, and glass bottles. Large crystals were placed on shelves and my dresser, and beside me, my altar was set atop a low laying table, hand crafted by my uncle. In front of it rested a circle within a circle, surrounded by latin symbols and filled with a pentagram, painted in white against the cement floor. I gestured to it, smiling nervously as the cats looked at the set up with great distress. "I'll- uh, I'll get to that."

Stepping forward slowly, as to not spook my guests, I gained their attention. " Can you guys talk? At all?" The smallest blue kitten, Konan- I presumed- shook her kitten head at me, mewling for emphasis. I scratched the back of my head, "And the others? Where are they?" This question earned me glares of suspicion. Sighing, I chuckled softly. "Ok, ok, I'll talk first." Stepping back, I opened my arms, and stood in the center of the symbol on the ground. "I know about you guys- about who you are. You're part of a criminal organization, called the Akatsuki. This organization is present here- in my world. You are part of a fictional series called Naruto- I'm afraid it's a bit risky to elaborate on that any further. Sorry." I sat in the center, leaning further, and meeting all of their eyes. "I'm presuming the ones present here are Konan, Kisame, Kakuzu and Sasori, and I'm afraid I have no idea how you got here- or how you turned into cats. But," I said with a smile, sitting up and gesturing to the altar behind me, "I may be able to help you with this situation." I paused, looking at the set of books resting in a box in the side of the room. "Key word there is 'may'. "

Glancing back at my cat-like guests, I added, "Until then I'm afraid you'll have to stay in here and answer my questions. We got a deal?" I asked with a smile.

The criminals bowed their kitty-heads together, muttering to each other in feline. Finally, Konan rose her head, stepped forward with a nod of her head and another mewl. I smiled.

"Good."

* * *

Later- much later- that evening, I lay sprawled out in the center of the pentagram painted on my floor, painting softly, with a slight sheen of sweat on my brow. Nothing I had tried work, the Akatsuki present were still very much kittens, and I was exhausted. I glanced over at the four cats that sat poised on the edge of the inner circle, like I had asked, looking at me with poorly masked disappointment.

"Sorry," I said, sitting up with a grunt. I shuffled over to extinguish the candles I had lit, "I gotta go to bed guys- really. We'll try again tomorrow." I began shrugging out of my clothes, pausing to realize that some of my guests we're indeed, human males. I glowered. "Turn." They did, though Sasori with an eye roll and Kisame with far too much exaggerated movements. Snorting, I changed into a pair of baggy pajamas and began shutting off my light, opening my door to let Toby join me later. "Try not to be seen, don't stay up too late scheming.," I said with a fingers wiggling in their direction. I crawled into bed. "Good night, guys."

* * *

The next morning, Saturday to be exact, I woke to the sound of my phone ringing. Blearily, I opened my eyes and started searching for my phone underneath my pillows. Grabbing it, I pressed it to my ear. "Hello?" I asked, rubbing sleep from my eyes.

"Annie dear! Are you all right?"

I blinked in surprise, sitting straighter and looking at my clock. 6:30am. "Oh hey Gran," I said, looking around and noticing the cats had woken up, and were now looking at me, and my phone, with great interest. "Yeah I'm fine, are you?" I asked, frowning with concern. My great-grandmother was quite a few years old, but not at all feeble. None the less, we we're very close and I worry about her often.

"Yes of course dear… there was such a large spike of energy though, I thought i'd better call and check." Her voice took on a knowing tone, "I've been looking through my old books, dear, and I think I found something that might help you with your new friends," It didn't surprise me that Gran knew, her and I shared a deep connection. Often enough, we had dreams of one another. Last winter, when Gramps was down in Florida with aunt Maryl, and Gran was left on her own at the farm, I knew when she slipped on ice and fractured her hip.

"Did you?" I asked, eyes brightening.

"Yes of course!" She said, there was crackling on the other end. "Look in the Grand Book of Shadows, dear, it should be there now." I grinded, my thanks just about out of my mouth, "And Annie, dear?" she said in a far more serious tone.

"Yes, Gran?" I asked, watching as the cats grew close enough to listen.

"Be careful." A click was heard on my end, and I ended the call as well, looking at the cats.

"Well, lets get started then." I said, rolling out of bed and heading towards the box of books beside my alter. Grabbing a large, old book, hand bound in leather and old parchment, I opened the cover to blank pages. Looking down, a muttered, "Dic, custodi me oportet doceatis." Ink sprang upon the pages, diagrams, spells and rune-charts appeared upon the pages as the cats looked with great interest, I smiled, used to the looks after what I attempted for them last night, and flicked to the back of the book, where Gran and her neat writing had drawn a diagram for me.

"Hm…" I muttered, instinctively sitting in the center of the circle to examine the contents, ignoring the sudden swarm of cats as they too, examined the strange book. Kakuzu, who sat perched on my shoulder, meowed, and prodded my cheek questionably, gazing at the book with a mixture of caution and fascination. "Not now," I said softly, frowning at the pages, "Let's save the questions until we can all speak english, eh?" I glanced at the cats, "This isn't as hard as it looks, seriously. But I need to draw a different circle, and when its cast, we need to form a contract." I looked back at the diagram, "From what I understand; you will all be in human form when the contract is formed for a brief time, and then will turn back into cats until the circle is broken. Since theres a group of you," I added looking at Konan, "Your leader, which I'm presuming is you for now, should be the one to agree to the contract." I stood suddenly, causing Kakuzu to dig his nails into me. I winced. "Got it?"

Konan, Kisame, and Sasori nodded, and I looked to Kakuzu, who shrugged indifferently. I grinned. "Alrighty! Lets get started."

The circle that needed to be drawn was four-tiered, unlike my own personal one, which was double-tiered. As I concentrated on doing them row by row, filling in the tiers with symbols both latin and gaelic, the Akatsuki watched me with growing interest. As each tier was completed, the power in the room grew, and my unease along with it. After the circle was partially completed, with lines of opening for the cats to enter, I directed them to the center, and they complied. I chalked the inner three circles closed, leaving the final one open as I lite a few candles, placed a few final crystals, and grabbed the Grand Book.

As I chalked my tier closed, the pressure in the room grew immense, the flames of my candles growing larger with the power. "Alright," I said, placing the Book at my feet so it was legible and glancing at my ceiling, "Let's hope we get this done before Mom get's home." Closing my eyes and lifting my hands, open palmed to my ceiling, I added a quick "Relax. Follow my lead." To the cats before I began.

"_Omnes magni, salvet! Erigor, et fidem tuam petere!*_" I called, feeling my own power rise. I brought my hand together, muttering to Konan; "The words I am about to say, you will repeat in your mind, followed by _consentio_, understand?" When I received a nod, from all of them, I continued. "_Auxilium quaeritis adsum. Leges meas, accipiant legem*._ In turn form my safety and wellbeing- and for that of my kin; I swear this. You will return to your true forms, your _formam*_, and will stay within my care, until you have returned to your rightful home, your _domum*_." I paused,nodding, eyes still closed, at Konan.

_"Auxilium quaeritis adsum. Leges meas, accipiant legem*._ I accept." Rather than one, four voices echoed in my mind. I open my eyes, seeing human forms in place of the cats I knew- not yet complete, but there. I smiled.

_"Locatur formatum,potest terminos esse.*_" The candles around us blazed as the four forms before me began to grow and materialize, and as they became clear, the candles extinguished.

"Shit." I muttered, blinking at the sudden darkness. "Did I blow the bulbs again?" I wondered out loud. Muttering a brief frio under my breath, I stepped out of the circle, fumbling for the door.

"Did it work?" I asked to either one of them, frowning when I didn't receive an answer. I turned, finding a glint of green-against red eyes as a sharp object was pressed against my throat. I swallowed nervously.

"So I- uh, guess you'd like that explanation now?" I said with a weak smile.

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**Hello there! Thank you for reading the first chapter of _"Not Another_ _One_"****! Please remember that all favs and follows are very much appreciated! Translations for the Latin used in this chapter:**

**-Dic, custodi me oportet doceatis.**

**-Omnes magni, salvet! Erigor, et fidem tuam petere;**

**-consentio**

**-Auxilium quaeritis adsum. Leges meas, accipiant legem.**

**-formam**

**-domum**

**-Locatur formatum,potest terminos esse**

**-frio.**

**-Show me, keeper, for I must learn. (Said to the grand book of shadows in order to see the contents. Followed by a showmanship of blood, in order to only see your clans spells.)**

**-All Mighty, All Hail! I raise myself up, and ask for your protection! (A matter of respect, said before casting a full circle and beginning magic within)**

**- I agree, I consent**

**-You seek aid, I am here. Hear my conditions, accept my contract.**

**-true form**

**-home**

**-The contract is formed, may the terms be true.**

**-break (said to close a circle)**

**Remember****- Reviews show me love! **


	2. Lets Bring the Boys Home to Mama

**Chapter Two, for all of you interested, Authors note at the bottom**

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**Lets Bring the Boys Home to Mama**

The hostility in the room was thick enough to taste. I sat on the bed, facing four very angry, and very confused criminals. Twiddling my thumbs, I waited.

After I while of watching Kakuzu pace in front of me, I sighed. "Well?" I asked, looking expectant at the Akatsuki.

"Well what?" Sasori snapped. "You owe us an explanation, girl. Give it." He glowered in my direction.

"I'm sorry. It's kind of hard to explain things without _knowing exactly what you want explained._" I seethed back.

"Hush." Konan said, stepping forward and addressing me in her soft voice. Gesturing to the circle I had drawn,she said. "Explain this first."

"Oh. Thats a four tiered binding circle- a fifth level spell." I smiled. "I used it to release whatever spell has been placed on you- and place my own. But don't worry, the conditions are much more different. As are the capabilities."

"And these 'spells'," Kisame spook from his place against the wall, "How do they work?"

"I manipulate the energy around me." I said. Lifting my arm in front, I pulled a series of air currents in the palm of my hand, and began heating them with my own energy. "Some things have to be done with my own energy- my aura, like heat- or moving things." I tossed the ball at Kisame, it blew his hair as it warmed his face. "See?"

"Can everybody in these lands do this?" Kakuzu rumbled, looking between me and Kisame with a spark of interest

"No," I said, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. '"My clan-er, my _family," _I corrected myself, trying not to sound like Gramps, "Is one of the last of our kind. Only a few people can do this- and I'm the first person in my family to have this power since Gran- and shes almost two hundred." I said sheepishly.

"So what are you, then?" Sasori said. "A witch?"

My eyes narrowed. "No." I snapped, "Don't you _ever _call me that." Kisame raised his eyebrows, obviously surprised by my defensive reaction.

"Oh?" Sasori challenged, a smirk playing across his wooden features. "And why not?"

"Witches were- are still- burned." I replied, remembering the times Gran describing the dark age of our people. How the air stank of blood and ashes.

Sasori snorted. "I could 'burn' you now, girl. I will call you what I wish, regardless of you," he examined me with an air of disgust, "Or your petty little feelings."

"Excuse me?" I spat. In hindsight, it probably would have been best to remember I was sitting in a room with four S-ranked criminals. Regardless, I stood, glaring at the red-headed puppet.

"You're excused." He said flatly.

"I just _rescued _your sorry wooden ass from the side of the road, and you _dare-"_

"Enough." Konan said with finality. She glared at the red-haired prick, then turned to me. "You said you had knowledge of us- yet this land seems far more different than ours. You can explain this?"

At this I paused. "Thats a bit more complicated," I admitted. "You see- you're actually not even in the same world as your own. Here you're fictional- a collection of antagonist in a popular series called 'Naruto', which originated in a country called Japan, and came here, to Canada." I smiled sheepishly, "I'm afraid that's all I can tell you for now."

"Wait." Kisame said, raising his hand as if to push this very knews away from himself. "You tryin' to tell me, we're part of an _entertainment product,"_ he emphasized, "Named after the goddamned _Kyuubi." _He finished in disbelief.

"...yes?"

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me. That brat? Really?" Throwing his hands in the air, he then began to grumble to himself. "What couldn't it just be called 'Kisame'."

Kakuzu paused in his paysing. "You mentioned you placed your own spell on us. Elaborate."

"Please." I said.

He turned, looking at me questionably. "I could kill you, if you weren't aware of that. Snap you in two before you even understood what was happening."

"Actually you couldn't," I replied. All four of them soon looked at me in disbelief. "No really," I added, "The contract you agreed to prevents you from harming me- or any of my 'kin'. You literally won't be able to. This goes both ways- neither me or my kin can do anything to cause intentional harm." I grinned.

"Or?" Konan asked.

"Or what?"

"What will happen if we _do, _girl?" Sasori said with a sigh of exasperation.

I blinked, "I'm not sure, actually. Lemme check." Walking past Kisame, I added a polite '_pardon me_' as I collected the open Grand Book of Shadows from it's place on the floor. Quickly skimming, I began to read aloud;

"_In the event that this contract be broken by the proselyte* , they will return to their original form, and if it be from the volunteer, they shall be stripped of power for thrice their crime. But warning, to the proselyte- for if they stray more than three leagues from the volunteers being, the contract will be not, until they have returned by their side." _I paused. "Well that kinda sucks."

"What? Why?" Kisame demanded. "It's not gonna turn us into toads or anything, right?" He said with a grin.

"No, no," I said with a snort, "But if any of you try to hurt me- you'll turn back into cats. And if _I _hurt _you_, then I loose my magic for three days. On top of the fact that you can't get more than nine miles away from me or else you'll turn into cats-again, and have to touch me to turn back."

Konan frowned. "Exactly how long will this contract last?" I shrugged.

"Until you're home, and safe." I shut the book with a small clap. "Now," I announced, "Do I get a turn for questions, 'cause I really don't see how I can help with that with what I have at the moment."

Sasori blinked. "You think you could bring us back to our homeland?"

"I can try," I said with another shrug, setting the Book back with the other of its kind, and pulling out a pad of paper. "But first- where are the rest of you?"

They looked at one another. "...I'm not sure… I don't exactly remember much of anything." Kisame finally said, the others nodding in agreement.

"Can you tell me what you do remember?" I proposed.

"I remember a sudden pain," Sasori said, " Almost a burning- had Deidara not been in front of me I would have thought the brat had set me on fire. He was saying something too- along the lines of "Fuck, Sasori no Danna did you poison me?- and then.. black." He concluded, a soft frown on his features.

"Mine was much the same," Konan added, Kisame and Kakuzu giving nods of agreement. I scribbled down the words _burning _and _sudden._

"We're your partners with you?" I asked. All of them nodded, and I quickly added the words _partners effected- where are they? _"So where are they…" I mumbled aloud, chewing the end of my pen.

A sudden thump was heard from above, and all of us froze, eyes glued to the ceiling as of we'd be able to spontaneously see through it. A muffled curse with a familiar voice carrying it floated through the ceiling to our ears. "Shit." I said quietly, eyes widening. "I completely forgot about that." I admitted.

"What?" Konan asked, her paper jutsu activated in case of an attack.

"...remember when I first found you, and I said I wasn't sure if you'd be able to stay?"

"Yeah?" Kisame responded, tense, with his hand on Samehada.

"I sort of forgot to mention that I still live with my family, and now we have to convince my mom to keep you." I said quickly, scrambling to find my housecoat.

"You're kidding, right?" Kakuzu rumbled.

"No, no, it'll be fine," I said nervously. "I managed to convince her to keep Toby- just sit there and look cute and lost." I purposely ignored the look Sasori shot me.

"...and if she refuses to keep us?" Konan asked.

"...you'll probably live in the back yard, to be honest." Shrugging on my housecoat, I pointed at the lethal criminals. "Just stay here, and wait for my signal." I told them, as I opened my door and exited the room.

"What's the signal?" Kakuzu hissed after me, as I began to ascend the stairs. I ignored him.

Taking the stairs two at a time, I rounded the corner into our kitchen, spotting my mom pulling out the eggs from the fridge. She was an older women now- getting into her forties, with a plump body, laugh lines and tired eyes. We both had the same hair- or did, until I decided to dye mine, and she to cut all hers off, a reddish brown that curled with stubborn audacity and an insane amount of thickness. Her eyes we're brown- I inherited the blue from my dad, and she would stubbornly tell you she was taller than myself, despite the fact that I was skinnier than a stick and had at least a good inch or two over her. She looked at me and gave me tired smile- mornings after midnight shifts will do that- and said, "You're up later than usual," as she placed the carton on the counter and turned on the stove.

Glancing at the clock told me it was nearing 11, and that this was indeed, much later than usual. "Yeah," I said nervously, scratching my head, "About that…"

My mother was immediately looking at my with suspicious eyes. "Annie…" She said with warning, pausing to crack an egg in her pan, "I swear, if you caught your room on fire again it's coming out of _your _paycheck this time." She said, pointing the egg shells threateningly at me.

"Nonono," I said shaking my head, "..though I did blow my light bulbs again," I added as an after thought.

She looked to the ceiling, sighing heavily. "Your dad will change it when he gets home," She said. He normally went for coffee with Gramps Saturday mornings, and wasn't to be expected home until well afternoon.

"Though it's… not exactly that either." I said, taking a cautious step forward. Moms eyes turned to me, and she waited for me to explain further. "...you might wanna get dressed-"

A dramatic sigh came, "Annalena Elizabeth Mayfleet, you may be seventeen, but you are most _certainly not _aloud to bring people home to spend the night-"

"Not like that, _not like that,"_ I said firmly, raising my hands in defense. Mom raised an eyebrow, caution slipping into her features. "We do have _guests,"_ I said, eyes flicking to the stairwell, "...that we won't be getting rid of for a little while…" Her eyes narrowed.

"A demon?" She asked, voice low, as she too eyed the stairs leading to our basement.

"No, but," I paused, frowning. "You know what- this might be easier if I just introduced them." I turned towards the stairwell, ignoring my mothers look of confusion. "C'mon up guys- remember what I told you!" I called.

Slowly, four S-ranked criminals made their way up our basement stairs- decked out in all of their organization uniform, and carrying weapons. Kakuzu came first- looking more than just a little embarrassed- and had he not been sporting his head gear, his face would have been as red as the clouds on his cloak. Kisame came next, putting on a friendly grin as he tried to squeeze both himself and his sword through my stairwell. Sasori looked vaguely uncomfortable as he shuffled past us- and finally, Konan came last, wearing a polite smile and far too much grace for my mother to handle.

As they stood behind me, my mother still stood in silence, staring at them with shock.

And eventually, the inevitable happened.

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**And that's the end folks! This one took a little bit longer than expected to write, more difficult than I expected to put this into terms. Anyway, notes for this chapter are:**

**proselyte- can literally mean disciple, or follower. In this context, it mean the person who has agreed to a term. **

**Stay tuned for the next chapter when Mrs. Mayfleet blows a gasket!**

**Reviews = love!**


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